Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 2367  Crafterʼs Sense

Date: Unspecified Time: Unspecified Location: Myriad Realms, Lil. Red Storm, Seed World, Trophy Section, Duel Realm, Crafting Sector, Venue: Chaos Dwarven Forge.

”Granduncle!” Dulas cried out in disbelief as the Elder Chaos Dwarf stepped into the arena, her voice trembling with shock.

”Well, I guess shame has officially left the building,” Biore sneered, folding his arms as he watched his maternal uncle step in to the arena as Bigoldʼs last champion. His tone was laced with bitterness, the scene before him only adding to his frustration.

Bigold had already lost two of his corpse puppets, leaving him with just one, while the unknown demon merchant still had all three of his intact. For Bigold to win, his remaining puppet would need to defeat all three of his opponentʼs puppets—a scenario that, given the apparent gulf in quality between the two sets of puppets, was nearly impossible.

The audience murmured among themselves, fully aware of the uphill battle Bigold faced. After all, the crafting duel was governed by strict rules and regulations, which limited the power and strategies of the champions to the capabilities of the corpse puppets they wielded. This meant that regardless of a championʼs personal strengths or realm, their effectiveness was bound by the puppetʼs design and the official guidelines of the duel.

This rule was precisely why neither side had objected to the realm of the champions representing them. A ruler-class being could still be rendered powerless if their puppet was poorly designed or couldnʼt keep up.

The earlier matches had perfectly illustrated this point. Moonʼs previous opponent, the Armixian devil merchant, was undoubtedly skilled in puppetry—his techniques even better than hers. Yet, he lost because his corpse puppet couldnʼt sustain the immense spiritual power he poured into it. It literally disintegrated after trying to handle its masterʼs spiritual power while simultaneously blocking the lightning strikes. Ironically, the puppet might have fared better facing the lightning head-on rather than overloading itself trying to resist it.

Everyone knew that a corpse puppetʼs effectiveness could be negatively impacted if the wielderʼs level didnʼt align with the puppetʼs requirements. This issue had already been demonstrated earlier with Dulas. As a demon lord, her spiritual power wasnʼt sufficient to fully command her demon emperor realm corpse puppet, causing delays in relaying commands, with resulted in the corpse puppetʼs reaction time being delayed than its actual speed, making it less effective in combat.

With the Elder Chaos Dwarf stepping in as Bigoldʼs champion, the tension in the arena shifted palpably. Murmurs rippled through the crowd, their excitement and curiosity mounting.

Sure, the Elder Chaos Dwarfʼs realm was higher than that of the Armixian devil merchant, and also when it came to raw puppetry skills, the Armixian devil merchant still held an overwhelming edge. Yet, the audience couldnʼt shake the feeling that Bigold now had a fighting chance. Why? Because the Elder Chaos Dwarf brought something extraordinary to the table: Crafterʼs Sense.

Millenniums of experience had granted the Elder Chaos Dwarf the fabled Crafterʼs Sense, a skill so refined that it allowed master crafters to analyze any item, discern its true potential, and even temporarily enhance it beyond its original design. It was a game-changer.

Unlike raw talent or brute force, Crafterʼs Sense was earned through countless years—no, millennia—of crafting. Every crafting attempt, every ingredients fused, every failure, and every masterpiece sharpened this instinct. By the time a Chaos Dwarf ascended to become a Elder Chaos Dwarf, they had devoted their lives to the craft, honing their senses to such an extent that it became second nature. Among their race, one wasnʼt truly recognized as an Elder Chaos Dwarf unless they had achieved this legendary insight.

The implications were enormous. With his Crafterʼs Sense, the Elder Chaos Dwarf could potentially draw out the full, untapped power of Bigoldʼs corpse puppet. Depending on the extent of his skill, he might even enhance the puppetʼs abilities severalfold, transforming it from a mediocre fighter corpse puppet into a top notch fighter corspe puppet.

The audience leaned forward in their seats, their eyes flicking between the Elder Chaos Dwarf and the Moon, eager to see how this unexpected twist would play out.

The judges hovered above the arena, their expressions indifferent as they chose to overlook the fact that the contestants had moved on to the third round without their approval. With a flick of their tail, they cleared the arena, preparing it for the next bout. After formally announcing the unknown demon merchant as the winner of the second round, they signaled the start of the third. ”Champions, ready or not, fight!”

Moon wasted no time. ”Spiritual Snow, Glacier Golem Form!” she commanded, her voice firm and steady. In her mind, she pictured ice gathering around her, forming into a towering Glacier Golem with herself as its core. Through her connection with the armored corpse puppet, this image was seamlessly shared. The puppet responded instantly, using its Glacier Silk ability to conjure the golem. As it formed, it didnʼt stop at her vision. The armored corpse puppet added its own touch, reshaping the golem to resemble the armor it wore, creating a massive Armored Glacier Golem. Facing an Elder Chaos Dwarf, Moon wasnʼt holding back. Meanwhile, the Elder Chaos Dwarf appeared unbothered. With a calm wave of his hand, he summoned his corpse puppet. Standing slender and unassuming, the puppet didnʼt seem like much—until the Elder activated his Crafterʼs Sense.

The moment he did, the corpse puppetʼs aura changed dramatically. It radiated an overwhelming surge of spiritual energy, a fierce storm swirling around it as its long silver hair floated upward, defying gravity. It was as if the puppet had just been infused with unimaginable power, stabilizing into a deadly, focused force.

Moon wasnʼt about to let the dramatic display rattle her. With sharp focus, she mentally ordered, ʼGlacier Strike!ʼ

The enormous Glacier Golem raised its arm, then brought it down with terrifying force, aiming to crush the smaller Frosling corpse puppet in one decisive blow. The audience collectively held their breath, anticipating the impact.

But just as the punch was about to land, the slender corpse puppet moved. With almost casual ease, it raised a single hand and caught the punch mid-strike, halting the Glacier Golemʼs attack as though it were nothing. Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Then, in one swift, brutal motion, the Frosling corpse puppet grabbed the Glacier Golemʼs arm, yanked it clean off at the shoulder, and swung it like a club, smashing it against the golem with glacier-crushing force.

Moonʼs jaw tightened, her mind racing to process the shocking turn of events. The sheer strength and precision of the Elder Chaos Dwarfʼs puppet had completely beyond what the corpse puppet should be capable of. The crowd roared, torn between awe and disbelief. They have all heard about the Crafterʼs sense but they did not expect it to be this overpowered turning Bigoldʼs trash corpse puppet into a mighty fighting machine.